Clamp



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' are A l s439345. TEN'I" OFFIC v cuantas o. Marianna, onifiinwsnnnn, Wisconsin.

` CLAMP.

rods iii any desired position of adjustment; which employs a single fastening means for simultaneously securing all ofthe rods in ytheir adjusted position; and which is; readL ily and easily adjustable.y j f Further objects are to provide a clamp ,which is of extremely light weight; which may be cheaply and readily manufactured; and which is veryA rigid and serviceable. f Embodiments lof the invention are shown in theaccompanying drawings,.in which:4

Fig. l shows the clamp applied to 1a dip net. I

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the clampl showing a fragment of the rods. n j y Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 534-3 of Fig. 2. j f j Fig. d shows modified form of clamp. `The clamp is adapted to be used for any purposes where it is desiredto clamp a plu. rality of rods in relative positions ofade`Ar justnieiit andit is. obvious that it is readily applicable to a variety'vof uses, such forexample, as holding parts of scaffolding, of holding in adjusted position the various sup! porting krods in laboratoryapparatus and'in other similar uses, and `in the embodiment chosen for illustration, it has been shown as applied to a dip net.` o

Figure l shows tlierleviceas it appears when used in connection with the dip net. 1 .In this form. 4a plurality ofy individual and distinct rods Al, 2, 3 and 4; are independently adjustably held by the clamp' indicated generally at 5 and after the desired adjustment has been secured, the screen 6 is stretched between the ends of the rods and secured thereto by means of suitable loops 7.

The clamp comprises a rectangular body 8 which is open top and bottom and'which is provided with an intermediate web .9.A ln the form shown, the side walls orrectangw lar portion 8 and the web n9 are formed-as one integral structure and may be conveniently cast of any suitable metal. A plurality of holes 10 is provided thru the recisai. semi no; 458,289. f

l tangular portion' and thesev holes are ar` vli/lnnoiinL,

ranged `in pairs, that is to say, a hole' upon one side is in alignment with a hole upon the opposite side as maybe seen-,from reference to` Figures 2 and. The' upper portion ofy the rectangular walls is provided f with eight holes as indicated so4 that the rods lmay `be ypassed thru any pair of aligned holes. 'Thelowerportion of the rectangular part of the clamp is provided with four holes, that is to say, two aligned pairs thru which the lower passed.

2A single clamping means secures all of the rods together and to the clamp body. This clamping means comprises a carriage bolt having an enlarged head l1, a portion l2 which may be squared if desired, and a threaded shank 1 3, thethreaded shank passing thru a central opening in they web 9. A; y thumb-nut engages the threaded shank upon the upper side of the flange 9 and is provided with a `circular Harige le and with wings 15. When this clamp is tightened, it willbe readilyseen that the enlarged portion'll engages the rods 2 and 4 while the flange engages the rods'l and 3, drawing `such rods towards the center ofA the clamp i and .causing them to ybind against the walls oftheir corresponding supporting openings l0. lt is to he noted that the squaredportion l2 substantially fits between the rods :2 and 4L and thereby prevents the threaded shank vi3 from rotating when the thumb nut is rotated. ln the form shown, the rods have been so arrangedthat they do not contact' with the central web 9, but bind yupon the walls-of their corresponding openings l() when engaged by the thumb 'nut or enlarged head kl1. isfound. that this gives a very secure gripping effect andis advantageous in afnumber of cases.y However, it'may be found desirable to so proportion the clamp body proper that the rods may engage the web 9 if so desired when' drawn inwardly by the clamp.

Figpt shows' a modified form of clamp in which the same general mechanism is einployed, the clamping means and rods being shown in a different position. ln this form, an extension 16 projects from onel corner of the clampv upwardly at slight angle and has a threaded 'centrally arrangedL opening 17 adapted to receive the correspondingly threaded shank of a handle indicated at 18. A corresponding threaded pair ofrods 2 andfl may be Y sor aperture 19 is vtorined in a boss 20 which; projects trom the' 'opposite corner of the clamp. This aperture is adapted to receive the shank of a handle when it is ,desired inclined handle to providea net which ex' tends outwardly from the clamp as illustrated in Fig. ln this form, the rods extend outwardly in pairs trom tivo adje-- cent faces of the clamp and are fastened to the net indicated in dotted lines at 2l in any suitable manner by vbeing passed either thru the meshes of the net or thru herne as desired.

lt will thus be seen that a clamp yhas been provided which will hold rods Whether round or square in any desired position ot adjustment. lt, will also be seen that this clamp is extremely rigid, may be cheaplyv and readily manufactured, and readily adjusted.

' claim:

may be as l. il clamp including a Walledtitting pro-y vided with symmetrically disposed openings its sides, a bolt and nut of a size adapted to engage simultaneously members aligned with openings uponopposite sides ot the bolt, and means for positioning said bolt centrally-Within said fitting.

2. A clamp including an open ended receptacle provided with a transverse parti! tion intermediate its ends and apertures symmetrically disposed in its Walls upon either side ot' the partition, and a boltandl nut centrally mounted in said partition and karranged to confine the members thrust through the apertures of the receptacle.

e. A universal clamp comprising a Walled bodyportion having a plurality of openings formed thru the Walls. thereof, an integral `connecting Web- `ioining said Walls, a plurality of rods passing thru said openings upon oppositek sides oil said ivebf, a fastening means passing loosely thru substantially the central portion of said web and provided Withenlarged ends having relative motion of adjustment towards and from each other, and adapted to bind upon said rods, one end `oi' said clamping means havingv a rectangular portion adapted to he positioned yadjacent certain of said rods and to thereby prevent rotation. oi: said portion.

d. A universal clamp comprising ya rectangular body portionhaving openings ar` ranged in aligned pairs, an integral web intermediate the upper` and lower margins of said body portion, rods passing thru said aligned openings and adapted to be positioned upon opposite sides of said integral \veb,"and a single fastening vmeans comprising a threaded shank having an enlarged head adapted rto. engage certain of s id rods upon one side of said web and having a Wing nut engaging-said threaelcd stern and having an enlarged portion engaging certain ot' said rods upon the other side'of said Web whereby when said Wing nut is `rotated,the rods areclamped in ad j usted f position.y

5. A clamp comprising a rectangular body 'portion provided With a plurality ot pairs of aligned openings adjacent its upper and lower margins, an integral 'web intermediate its upper and lower margins and provided With a substantially central opening` rods passing .thru said aligned openings and :a single fastening means adaptedl to clamp said rods andy comi-)rising a threaded shank extending thru said integral wel) and having an enlarged headed lower portion provided with al squared part positioned kadjacent certain ot' said rods upon one side ot said web, and a threaded Wing said Web.

CHARLES (l. 'MERCKEL 

